Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God’s Deliverance of Israel from Egypt.

Sign of the Fleece

³⁶ Then Gideon said to God, “^(A)If You will deliver Israel ^[a]through me, as You have spoken, ³⁷ behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel ^[b]through me, as You have spoken.” ³⁸ And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. ³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “^(B)Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” ⁴⁰ God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.

¹² Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there ^(A)is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁴ and ^(B)if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. ¹⁵ Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified ^[a]against God that He ^(C)raised ^[b]Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; ¹⁷ and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; ^(D)you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who ^(E)have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are ^(F)of all men most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

²⁰ But now Christ ^(G)has been raised from the dead, the ^(H)first fruits of those who ^(I)are asleep.